CVE-2025-2598 in Cloud Development Kit Command Line Interface
Summary
by MITRE • 03/21/2025
When the AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK) Command Line Interface (AWS CDK CLI) is used with a credential plugin which returns an expiration property with the retrieved AWS credentials, the credentials are printed to the console output. To mitigate this issue, users should upgrade to version 2.178.2 or later and ensure any forked or derivative code is patched to incorporate the new fixes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2025-2598 affects the AWS Cloud Development Kit CLI, a widely used infrastructure-as-code tool that enables developers to define cloud resources using familiar programming languages. This security flaw specifically manifests when the CDK CLI interacts with credential plugins that return expiration timestamps along with AWS credentials. The issue represents a critical exposure risk as the system inadvertently logs complete credential information to console output, potentially compromising sensitive authentication data. The vulnerability impacts organizations using AWS CDK for cloud infrastructure management and deployment, particularly those relying on automated credential retrieval mechanisms.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of credential data within the CDK CLI execution flow. When credential plugins return credentials containing expiration properties, the CDK CLI processes this information without adequately sanitizing or masking sensitive data before console output. This behavior violates fundamental security principles for credential management and logging practices. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and output sanitization, allowing potentially malicious actors who have access to console logs or monitoring systems to extract full AWS credentials including access keys, secret keys, and session tokens. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-209, which addresses information exposure through error messages, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.1 for credentials from password storage modules.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, potentially enabling unauthorized access to cloud resources and data. Attackers who gain access to console logs or monitoring systems could leverage these exposed credentials to perform unauthorized actions within AWS environments, including resource manipulation, data exfiltration, or privilege escalation. Organizations using automated deployment pipelines or continuous integration systems are particularly at risk, as console output from these systems often persists in logs and monitoring solutions. The vulnerability also affects the broader AWS ecosystem, as compromised credentials could lead to unauthorized billing, data breaches, or compliance violations. This issue represents a significant risk for enterprises that rely on CDK for infrastructure automation and may have cascading effects on cloud security posture.
Mitigation efforts should focus on immediate version upgrades to AWS CDK CLI version 2.178.2 or later, which incorporates proper credential sanitization mechanisms. Organizations must ensure their credential plugin implementations do not expose sensitive information through console output and should implement comprehensive logging policies that prevent credential exposure. System administrators should review and audit existing CDK configurations, credential plugin code, and automated deployment processes to identify potential exposure points. The fix addresses the vulnerability through enhanced input validation and output filtering, ensuring that credential data is properly masked or removed before console output. Additionally, organizations should implement monitoring for credential exposure in logs and consider implementing automated credential rotation processes as part of their security operations. Security teams should also review their incident response procedures to address potential credential compromise scenarios and ensure proper containment measures are in place for environments where this vulnerability may have been exploited.